Plastic webbing for steamer deck chairs



1959 F. HASCHKE 2,871,926

PLASTIC WEBBING FOR STEAMER DECK CHAIRS Filed July 10, 1957 INVENTOR. FRED HHSBHKE z BY 57 59 w fl fi EE 5 HTT United States Patent 2,871,926 PLASTIC WEBBING FOR STEAMER DECK CHAIRS Fred Haschke, Tenafly, N. J.

Application July 10, 1957, Serial No. 670,908 1 Claim. (Cl. 155-187) This invention relates to improvements in the construction of reclining chairs particularly to the type having openwork seats and backrests such as deck chairs, lawn chairs and other outdoor chairs.

The type of chairs which have been most commonly used for decks, lawns and the like are those having openwork seats and backrests made of strips or webs of suitable fabric, plastic or synthetic material. However, such strips or webs of material which have a comparatively wide spacing between the warp threads have a tendency to pull away from the framework of the chair and in general are deficient in strain-resisting qualities.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide improved means and method whereby the sheet material or webbing of chairs of this type is incorporated and secured in such away that it cannot become loose or displaced, and the body of the user is yieldingly supported and thereby assured of the utmost ease and comfort.

Another object of the invention is to provide fastening means of this character which may be readily and easily assembled with the side rails and with the flexible seat and which binds and clamps the'flexible seat to the side rails and entirely eliminates any possibility of the flexible seat becoming disengaged from the side rails, the arrangement being such that when the chair is being used the weight of the person sitting thereon enhances the clamping, binding and securing action of the fastening means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical construction of. clip which is especially adapted for securement to webbing or strips of flexible material of substantial width, the clip being of such form and so quickly detachably anchored to the supporting frame for the webbing as to uniformly distribute over the full width of the taut webs all of the strains and stresses to which it is subjected in normal use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair of the type for use in connection with a deck, lawn, bathing beach and the like wherein the back and seat are constructed of materials comfortable to the touch.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a deck chair embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the leg support of the chair. 7

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the seat of the chair on a slightly reduced scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the as rear legs 21.

2,871,926 Patented Feb. 3, 1959 ice position of the parts preparatory to securing the end of a web to the rail of a frame.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Fig. 1 illustrates a chair 15 of the folding deck or lawn type having an open'rectangular-shaped backrest 16, an open rectangular-shaped seat frame 17 and an open rectangularshaped leg supporting frame 18. The leg supporting frame is slightly curved. The back and seat frames are supported by front legs 19 and by downwardly curved extensions of the side rails 20 of the seat frame serving The front legs are braced by upper and lower transverse bars 22 and 23, respectively, and the rear legs 21 by a transverse bar 24. All of the foregoing parts are fashioned out of wooden rails.

The seat frame 17 is pivotally connected to the backrest frame 16 by means of triangular-shaped channel brackets 25 having one side extended as indicated at 26 and secured to the rear end rail 27 of the seat frame 17 and to the outer side rails 20 of the seat frame by screw bolts 28. The bottom ends of the side rails of the back frame 16 are received between the sides of the channel brackets 25 and then secured by bolts 29 which pass through the sides of the channel brackets and through the bottom ends of the side rails of the backrest frame.

A screw bolt 31 extending across the space between the sides of each channel bracket serves as a stop for limiting the relative pivotal movement of the backrest and seat, and the front face of the bottom end of the side rails of the backrest frame are preferably protected by a metal plate 32. The front legs are pivotally connected by screw bolts 33 to the side rails 20 of the seat frame 17 adjacent the front end rail 34 of the latter frame and extend above said pivotal connection 33.

'The arm rests 35 are-fashioned from Wooden rails, each bei ngjpivotally connected at one end to the top of the corresponding front leg 19 by an inverted U-shaped plate 36 secured to the underside of the arm rest receiving the top of the front leg, A pivot screw bolt 37 extends loosely through the sides of the plate 36 and the top of the front leg. The top of each front leg is preferably This connection includes trunnions 40 secured to the adjacent rear ends of the side rails 41 of the leg supporting frame 18 and extending laterally therefrom into the side faces of extensions 42 on the front ends of the side rails 29 of the seat frame 17. The front of the leg supporting frame is adapted to be supported by legs 43 pivotally secured at one end to the side rails 41 by pivot bolts 44, the legs being braced at their free ends by a cross rail 45.

This interconnection of the various parts of the frames makes possible compact folding or collapsing of the chair in a well-known manner which need not be dwelt upon herein.

in accordance with the present invention, the seat proper, the backrest and the leg support are each formed by a framed panel 47 inserted in the frames 17, 16 and 18, respectively. Each framed panel 47 is of similar construction and each consists of long rails 43, igand cross end rails 49, 49, the rails each having a groove 50 extending the length of its inner face. Interlaced in the space between the long and end rails are longitudinal and transverse webbing or tape strips 51 and 52, respectively, of flexible material, such as Saran plastic material, canvas or like fabric material.

The steps in preparing the webbing strips 51 and 52 and applying them to the framed webbed panels 47 follow.

Each of the Strips of Webbing 51 and 52 is preferably prefabricated to the proper length and is detachably secured to the framed panel 47 of the chair as will be presently described. By prefabricating the web strips and forming and providing separate fastening members, the assembly of the framed panel is greatly speeded up and both the framed panel and webbing strips can be produced by mass production methods which substantialiy reduce the cost of the finished article while insuring that the article will be of the highest standard of uniform quality.

In Fig. 4, there is a disassembled view showing one end of an end rail 49 of a framed panel 47 with a webbing strip 51 about to be secured thereto. The end of the webbing strip is passed around the rail 49 and around a channel-shaped clip 53 of spring metal having side walls 54 and a bottom wall 55, said clip being shaped to conform to the shape of the bottom side of the rail. One side wall 54 of the clip is formed with an inwardly extending flange 56 for the length of the wall, and the end of the webbing strip 51 extends over said flange and downwardly to the bottom wall between the side walls. The clip with the end of the webbing strip thus supported is forced inwardly against, then over the adjacent half of the rail 49.

During this operation, the flange 56 on the clip snaps into the groove 50 on the inner surface of the rail carrying a portion of the strip material into the groove and interlocking said portion therein, the end of the strip simultaneously being clamped between the inner face of the rail and the inner face of the adjacent Wall of the clip and between the bottom face of the rail and the bottom wall 55 of the clip 53 as shown in Fig. 5. The end of the webbing strip is thus folded in to conceal the clip and to ensure a good bearing of the web on the clip.

It will be understood that each end of each of the longitudinal and transverse strips 51 and 52, respectively, of webbing is similarly clamped to the respective rails of the frame webbed panel 47. The frame panel 47 with the crisscrossed webbing is dimensioned so as to be inserted into and fit between the side and end rails of each of the seat, back and leg supporting frames and is supported therein on angle brackets 57 secured to the adjacent rail of the frame by a screw 58 and secured to the adjacent rail of the framed webbing panel 47 by a screw 59 passing through the bottom wall 55 of the clip 53.

The method of the interlacing and anchoring the webbing tends to provide a uniform load distribution on the seat and back frame and leg supporting frame elements and on the fastening clips which hold the spanning web strips in position, and when the structure is made in accordance with my invention, will produce a chair of sufficient strength to readily sustain the weight of any ordinary person.

By utilizing the means and method of this invention,

the strip or webbing material can be pretitted with its supporting anchors on a mass production basis thus en suring maximum uniformity and minimum cost.

The detachable connection between the preformed Webbing and the panel frame to which it is secured permit ready replacement of said webbing by an unskilled person with a minimum of equipment.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

In a deck chair or the like, an open rectangular frame having flat sides, a rectangular panel, said panel having an open structure formed by four rails of rectangular cross section secured together at their ends, each of the rails having a longitudinal groove on an inner side thereof, a web of interwoven longitudinal and transverse strips of flat flexible sheet material disposed in the space defined by the four rails, each end of each strip being turned around three sides of a rail and having a loop extending into the groove on the inner side of the rail, four elongated metal clips, each clip having a rectangular U-shaped cross section with a flange extending longitudinally and inwardly along the outer edge of one side wall of the clip, said clips respectively being juxtaposed to three sides of the rails with the flange extending into the groove in the inner side of the rail and securing the looped ends of the strips at one edge of the web therein, and angle brackets each having one side removably secured by screws to an inner side of the rectangular frame and having the other side thereof providing a flat elongated support for one of the rails, there being screws passing through said other side of each of the brackets, a bight portion of one of the clips and end portions of the strips, the last-named screws being threaded in the rails, said panel being snugly fitted within the opening in said frame with said rails being wholly confined between outer sides of the frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 662,647 Howe Nov. 27, 1900 724,453 Emmons Apr. 7, 1903 809,061 Hoover Jan. 2, 1906 1,127,139 West Feb. 2, 1915 2,457,343 Braunschweiger Dec. 28, 1948 2,629,432 Hanslick Feb. 24, 1953 2,765,525 ONeill Oct. 9, 1956 

